A few days ago, a friend of mine told me a story. She told me that she went to sleep with a headache and told her family members not to wake her up the following morning. But the roosters her dad had bought recently did not get the message… As roosters do, they began crowing at the crack of dawn. She kept hoping they would stop until finally, she hopped out of bed to start her day. Having woken up earlier than expected, she dedicated this time to the Lord - praying and reading her bible. Something I wish I had a habit of. And this rooster got us both thinking.

Why does a rooster crow?

According to EarthSky.org, A rooster crows because he has an internal clock that helps him anticipate sunrise. Like all birds, roosters sing – or crow – in a daily cycle. Almost all animals have daily cycles of activity known as circadian rhythms that roughly follow the cycle of day and night. Roosters anticipate sunrise to get a head start on their daily hunt for food and defense of territory.

But if one rooster in the neighborhood has an internal clock that’s set a little early, he can stimulate other roosters to crow early, too. The rooster’s sunrise song is actually a way of establishing his territory. When a rooster crows, he’s sending a signal to other roosters that if they trespass, they’re asking for a fight.

A rooster will often crow from a vantage point above his territory so he can make others more aware of his presence and so that his songs travel farther. Even though roosters are the most famous crooners of the chicken world, hens aren’t exactly silent, either. When a hen spots a hawk, she’ll let out a harsh scream to send her chicks into hiding. But if she sees a less-threatening human, she might just cackle.

Now, you might think I am looking a little too deep into the reason a rooster crows, but hear me out.

As humans, it seems we only wake up early because of an inconvenience, or perhaps out of fear, but a rooster wakes up every day prepared to defend what he owns. Hens especially seem to only be defensive when danger is near. I know I am guilty myself of not waking up and dedicating the time I should to God. I am guilty of sleeping through my quiet time or maybe deciding to just drink my coffee instead. But by not waking up, I am letting not only myself down, but also those that I hold dear.

As women, or hens if you will, it is OUR job and OUR duty to wake up and defend what we own. We must wake up and put on the full armor of God. We must wake up and pray over our families and our homes for their safety and well-being. We must wake up and be disciples - go out and tell our neighbors, the other roosters and hens, about our God. We must wake up and live in a way that exemplifies Him. We must wake up every day and quicken our spirits for the Lord.

The Lord is calling for you and me to wake up.

Romans 13:11 says, "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed."